A community group has collected £2,500 worth of vital baby and mother items which will be sent directly to Ukraine.

The Oddfellows, a national  organisation, has a busy social calendar for its members and fundraises for numerous charities, with members attending an event at Castle Methodist Hall this Thursday in aid of Ukraine. 

Diana Randell, secretary of the Bury St Edmunds & Colchester District Lodge, explained how she expected only five carrier cots but ended up with 45, and said: “All the items are either brand new or knitted.

“They have donated so much, it’s incredible. I was overwhelmed.”

Gazette: Quality - members inspect the packed carrier-cotsQuality - members inspect the packed carrier-cots (Image: Diana Randall)

Each ‘carrier-cot’ contains baby clothes, nappies, nappy wipes and the “essential nappy sack” to ensure the donations fully help.

While Diana explained for the mums, there are maternity pads, breasts pads, and chocolates.

Both a warmer and thinner blanket are also included in the donated cots which are estimated to cost £55.

Further, more than £500 was raised in a raffle for a hamper.

Diana added that the cots were for babies up to three to four months and said: “It gives them a start because they have nothing”.

Diana first found out only “two or months ago” about the charity donations sent in lorries from her friend Tony Elliston, who has been to Ukraine four times as part of the Harwich Ukraine Support Project.

Tony, who has lived in Harwich for the past 12 years, thanked all the Oddfellows members for collecting the cots in only a month.

He revealed how one of the maternity hospitals near the border where he has taken previous carrier cots – from corporate companies and other fundraising –  accommodated 120 newborn babies.

Gazette: Brave - Tony Elliston Brave - Tony Elliston (Image: Newsquest)

Tony added that Essex’s peninsula region has produced so much aid since the war started, and said:  “We reckon we’ve moved around 260 tonnes of aid – that’s food, aid, and blankets.

“Each time we go we probably take 18 hundred to two thousand boxes of aid – all of that has come from this peninsula and has been packed by local people, all volunteers.”

Mr Elliston said he was not concerned by the generous donations, but by the expense of fuel, with each trip costing seven to eight thousand pounds.

The donated goods will be transported to 20 miles near the Russian border and volunteers remain for about three to four nights to ensure the donations are used.